Automatic balancing device.



Patented Dec. 6,1910.

V. G. GUSTAFSON. AUTOMATIC BALANCING DEVICE.

QM mm m APPLICATION FILED JULY 28,1909.

% @Zuw X @44 VICTOR/G. GUSTAFSON, OF J'OLIET, ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC BALANCING DEVICE.

Specification 0! Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 6, 1910.

' Application filed July 28, 1909. Serial No. 510,081.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VICTOR G. GUSTAFSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Joliet, in the county of \Vill and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Automatic Balancing Devices, of which the following 1s a specification.

My invention relates to automatic balancing devices especially for aero lanes or flying machines but it is also app icable to submarine vessels.

The object of the invention is to provide means whereby the ship (which term will be employed to indicate vessels using either air or water as a suspension medium) will be automatically returned to a horizontal or other predetermined position.

A further object is to provide a device of this character which is automatic in its nature when left alone but which may be manuall operated to alter its inclination from the iorizontal. It will be understood that in a fl ing machine, for example, the machine wil normally travel horizontally but when it is desired to make a landing it will be necessary to cause the forward extremity of the vessel to dip downward, and conversely when it is desired to rise to a higher altitude it will be necessary for the front of the vessel to be elevated. My device will normally keep the vessel horizontal but affords an opportunity to the operator to change the direc tion at will, and also to change the lateral inclination so that the vessel may be caused to circle to the right or left.

I accomplish my objects by the mechanism I illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in Which:

Figure 1 is a central vertical section of the device, Fig. 2 is a horizontal section thereof, taken on the line 22 Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view showing the electrical connections.

It will be understood that the form of mechanism here shown is selected for illustrative purposes and that the invention may be embodied in a great variety of forms. The form selected, however, is advantageous, and is, therefore, preferred.

A vessel 1 of insulating material is filled with mercury to a proper level'and is provided with a handle 2 by which the vessel may be tilted when desired. By preference 1 the vessel is provided with a glass cover 3 held in position by an annular screw cap 4 or other suitable means. In the sides of the vessel, preferably at four equidistant points, are arranged contact terminals 5, 6, 7 and 8. These terminals are all arranged at the same level and are provided with binding screws 9 or other suitable means for making electric connection between said terminals and the circuit conductors 10, 11, 12 and 13. A fifth contact terminal 15 is located in the handle 2 or in some other convenient portion of the vessel whereby it will be out of the way and yet permanently in contact with the mercury under all ordinary circumstances irrespective of the tilting of the vessel. Said terminal 15 is provided with a binding screw 16 or other suitable means for making electrical contact with the circuit conductor 17.

The vessel is yieldingly sus ended in the ship in such manner that it wi I normally be held level or horizontal when the ship is level but may be manually moved from such position. The preferred means for thus suspending or mounting the device consists, as here shown, of four coiled springs 20, 21. 22 and 23 arranged equidistantly around the vessel and attached at one end to clips or lugs 24 on the vessel and at the other end to arms or brackets 25 rigidly secured to the frame of the ship. Any other suitable holding means may be substituted for the lugs or clips 24, and other resilient suspending means may be substituted for the coiled springs 20, but the aforesaid construction is suitable. More than four springs may be employed, if desired, but four are sufficient under ordinary conditions.

I will now explain the theory of my invention from the electrical standpoint, making special reference to the diagram, Fig. 3. Connected respectively to the conductors 10, ll, 12 and 13 are electrically controlled devices 30, 31, 32 and 33 which control the vanes, wings, rudders, propellers or other devices which govern the inclination of the ship. M invention has nothing to do with the speci c construction of these controlling devices, it being suflicient for the present purpose to point out that four of such devices are suflicient to directly or indirectly produce a controllin effect at any one of the four cardinal points of the compass, or at any two of them. These devices may be multi lied in number as may also thenumher 0 the leveling terminals 5, 6, 7 8; but the theor in each case will remain the same. Electrics ener y for operating said electrical controll controlling devices is furnished ba battery 35 or other suitable source. li or convenience this is connected between the conductor 17 and the conductors 36, 37, 38 and .39 leading respectively to the controlling devices 30, 31, 32 and 33.

In operation, the vessel 1 is fitted with mercury to such a height that when said vessel is level the surface of the mercury will be just below and out of contact with the leveling terminals 5, 6, 7 and 8. Under such circumstances the circuits in the apparatus will be open, and consequently no current will be impressed upon an of the elect-rically operated controlling evices 30, 31, 32 or 33. Under these, the normal conditions, the ship will tend to maintain its horizontal position. It, now, the ship, for any reason, tilts from the normal position some one or some two of the terminals 5, 6, 7 8 will become submerged in the mercury and thus establish a circuit throu h the corresponding one or two of the devlces 30, 31, 32 or 33.

. again open and remain open This will put in operation the proper mechanism to right the ship, that is, return it to horizontal or normal osition. As soon as the ship has been rigiited the circuits will during normal conditions. If the operator desires to produce any tilting of the ship he merely applies pressure to the handle 2 in such manner as to cause the submergence in the mercury of the proper one or pair of terminals.

Although it is preferable that in operation the mercury containing vessel shall be filled only to a point beneath the terminals 5, 6, 7 and 8, it is obvious that the vessel may be filled to a level slightly above said terminals. In such case, under normal conditions, the circuits will be broken outlay when the containing vessel is tilted su ciently to uncover one or more of said terminals. Such method of operation, however, has the disadvanta e of wasting the battery or other source 0% electrical energy, and is, therefore, not so good as the method first described.

Ordinarily it will be desirable to prevent surging of the mercury or other liquid conductor in the vessel, and although mechanical baflles may be employed, I prefer to accomplish the purpose by filling the s ace above the mercury with a fluid or semiuid material which is but an imperfect conductor of electricity.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of a vessel of insulating material adapted to contain mercury up to a certain level, a terminal ada ted to contact the mercury far below its surihce, a plurality of terminals mounted upon said vessel at the same height and at about the level of the mercury, and a removable transparent cover for preventing the escape of the contents of the vessel.

2. In a device of the class described the combination of a vessel adapted to contain a fluid conductor, a terminal adapted to remain in contact with said fluid conductor, a plurality of terminals mounted upon said vessel at substantially the same level whereby they are immersed or uncovered depending upon the tilt of the vessel, and means for yieldmgly sup orting said vessel.

3. In a device of the class described the combination of a vessel ada ted to contain a fluid conductor, a termina adapted to remain in contact with said fluid conductor, a plurality of terminals mounted upon 'said vessel at substantially the same level whereby they are immersed or uncovered depending upon the tilt of the vessel, means for yieldingly holding said vessel level and means for tilting said vessel against the force of said yieldin ly holdin means.

4. In a device of are class escribed, the combination of a vessel ada ted to contain a fluid conductor, a termina adapted to remain in contact with said fluid conductor, a plurality of terminals mounted upon said vessel at substantiall the same level where by they are immersed or uncovered depending upon the tilt of the vessel, at least four springs equally distributed around said ves sel for ieldingly su porting the same, and means or tilting sai vessel in opposition to said s rings.

. u a device of the class described, the combination of a vessel ada ted to contain a fluid conductor, a termina adapted to remain in contact with said fluid conductor, a plurality of terminals mounted upon said vessel at substantially the same level whereby they are immersed or uncovered depending upon the tilt of the vessel, means for yieldingly holding said vessel level and a handle on said vessel for manually tilting it.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination of a vessel adapted to contain a fluid conductor, means for electrically energizing said fluid conductor and four termina s arranged equidistantly around said vessel at substantiall the same level, whereby they are immerse or uncovered, depending upon the tilt of the vessel, it being possible for an two adjacent terminals to be uncovered w ile the remaining two are covered and vice versa.

7. In a device of the class described, the combination of a vessel adapted to contain a fluid conductor means for electrically energizing said fluid conductor, four terminals arranged equidistantly around said vessel at substantially the same level, whereby they In witness whereof, I have hereunto subare immersed or uncovered, dependin upon scribed my name in the presence of two witthe tilt of the vessel, it being possible or any nesses.

two adjacent terminals to be uncovered while VICTOR G. GUSTAFSON. 5 the remaining two are covered and vice Witnesses:

versa, and means for manually controlling A. SCHOENSTEDT,

the tilt of said vessel. I L. L. SCHOENSTEDT. 

